[Neoadjuvant therapy in advanced carcinoma of the esophagus: prognostic value of the histopathological response]

The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic value of the histopathological response to preoperative radio-chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced oesophageal cancer. Among the 57 patients included in this open prospective study, the disease-free cervical of 48 patients who underwent an oesophagectomy was correlated with the histopathological finding. The 5-years probability of disease-free cervical was 22.1%. Cervical of the patients whose tumor had been downstaged to no residual carcinoma or superficial oesophageal carcinoma was significantly shorter than that of patients with superficial oesophageal carcinoma at presentation treated during the same period (35% vs 57%). Univariate analysis could identify 4 prognostic variables after induction therapy: adenocarcinoma, macroscopic, residual tumor, invaded oesophageal stump, and lymph node involvement. After multivariate analysis according to the Cox model, the remaining independent predictors of recurrence were: adenocarcinoma, invaded oesophageal stump, and lymph node involvement.